Chapter 218: Captain’s Gift

“Huh? Captain’s here?!”

*Thump! Bang!* Doors burst open everywhere, and the mad dogs poured out.

One, two… Dan, who had been counting heads with resignation, widened his eyes as he confirmed the endless stream of people.

‘The numbers… they’re all here?’

According to the original plan, nearly half of them should be missing right now.

His bewilderment was fleeting; he quickly grasped the situation.

‘…They didn’t follow my orders.’

Thanks to that, they weren’t discovered, which was fortunate, but he wasn’t exactly pleased.

With complicated feelings, he watched the Lofty Knights surround Deon Hart a few steps away, when Kleter casually patted his shoulder as if telling him to cheer up. It was a fleeting touch, not even a conversation, nor a moment to linger, but Dan clearly heard the words whispered in a low voice.

“My gut told me something was off, so we stayed put. Don’t take it personally.”

Following closely, Milan also passed him while rushing towards Deon Hart, leaving a few words behind.

“I had a feeling the Captain would show up today. Turns out, everyone else felt it too.”

Huh… This time, he was speechless for a different reason.

They actually guessed it purely on instinct… What kind of beastly senses were these?

‘Is this what happens when you roll around on the battlefield?’

Just as Dan was filling his head with incorrect common sense, Deon, who had been glancing at Dan amidst the mad dogs welcoming him warmly to this shabby place, finally spoke.

“I brought something for you guys.”

“Yes? Is it a gift?”

“Not exactly a gift.”

“Captain is giving us a gift?!”

“Wooooaaaah!”

“……”

Yeah, let’s just call it a gift….

Deon, wisely minimizing stress through quick acceptance, pointed to the cart that Dan had pushed in from behind.

“Everything on there is for you.”

“Huh, is all this alcohol really for us?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugged casually. Dan’s gaze became strange as he alternated between Deon’s attitude and the Lofty Knights, whose eyes were shining.

This atmosphere… it feels familiar. Have I seen it somewhere before?

When was it…?

‘Ah, when feeding leftovers to stray dogs.’

The old woman who used to scatter leftovers to stray dogs in the mountain village had a similar demeanor. And the stray dogs, accustomed to it, acted much like they were now.

‘Well, the people involved seem completely oblivious though.’

It’s not like it’s a problem, and if they’re happy, then whatever.

Dismissing the thought casually, he calmly covered his ears to protect his eardrums from the cheers that immediately erupted.

The sound was so loud that he could still hear it even with his ears covered.

“Wooooooaaaaaah!”

“I was craving a drink because my head was a mess anyway! Long live the Captain!”

“Cap-tain for life!”

“……Hold on.”

Deon, who had been listening to the mad dogs’ shouts, raised an eyebrow.

That damn ‘Cap-tain for life’ or whatever, fine, whatever.

“Head’s a mess? Have you guys had anything on your minds lately? I haven’t ordered you to do anything.”

“Hup.”

The member who had spoken without thinking quickly clapped his hand over his mouth. But it was already too late.

Simultaneously with him covering his mouth, numerous hands reached out from behind and dragged him into the crowd. His figure disappeared from Deon’s sight, and soon, a muffled sound and stifled screams echoed. Even that was quickly buried under exaggerated laughter.

Milan, stepping forward to catch Deon’s attention, let out that awkward smile of his again and stammered.

“Haha, no, what I meant was… I was tired and wanted a drink!”

“That’s the same thing. I don’t remember giving you any work, so why would you be tired?”

“Uh… well…”

Milan rolled his eyes around, glancing past Deon’s shoulder.

Dan, holding a finger to his lips, then extending his middle finger as well, twisted his wrist to show the back of his hand. Milan, with his beast-like senses, noticed that it was an escape route and strode closer to Deon, taking a deep breath.

Deon, startled, tried to step back but Milan grabbed him and wouldn’t let go.

“…What is it?”

“I knew it…”

He smells like medicine.

Rather than relief at avoiding the crisis, worry took precedence. Milan frowned without realizing it, and lowered his voice.

“Captain, did you take your medicine again?”

“Huh? Medicine?! Really?”

“……”

There was no explicit answer, but that alone was enough.

The knights, reading affirmation from the silence, began to riot.

In the continuous downpour of nagging and the endless stream of candy being shoved into his mouth, the previous topic was completely forgotten in an instant.

***

When the day to broadcast the screen was set, and even as time passed day by day, Dan maintained a calm demeanor.

Legion commanders occasionally glanced at him as they passed by in the hallway, expressing their admiration in their own way, and even when Deon Hart praised him, saying he was more composed than expected, Dan only gave a faint smile, his basic attitude unchanged.

But inside, it was completely different.

In the relentless flow of time, he was shaken by emotions that repeatedly poked at his reason.

After all, he was also human. Dan, who frequently traveled to the Human Realm, knew very well how Deon Hart’s name was treated in the Human Realm.

Just hearing it made people spit as if it were bad luck, easily mention the owner of the name’s death, and hurl curses filled with bloody tears. The resentment-filled screams, as if spitting out the souls of those who had lost loved ones, were so chilling. Deon Hart. The sight of them wailing, repeating only that name, was no different from that of madmen.

Deon Hart, thrown to these people, was killed in various ways under their three-inch tongues, torn into thousands, tens of thousands of pieces. If a name had form, it probably wouldn’t be able to maintain its original shape.

Of course, Deon Hart being the first, the originator, might have made the reaction more intense.

But given the situation, the second time would also elicit a significant reaction. Perhaps it would take until the third time for the reaction to become somewhat muted. So, if he were to stand in front of the screen, he would likely end up in a similar state.

Despite knowing this fact clearly, despite feeling something akin to worry or fear from it, Dan ultimately did not change his mind. He couldn’t, and from the start, he couldn’t refuse.

‘Because Deon Hart recommended me.’

Adjusting his clothes, Dan wore a bitter smile.

From the moment he entered the meeting room, stood before the Demon King, and received the proposal, the situation could no longer be regarded as merely Deon Hart’s recommendation.

The Demon King making a direct proposal meant that a meeting had been held and a conclusion had been reached in some form. In other words, the legion commanders also knew about this matter and had expressed their opinions, resulting in this outcome. Refusal here would be tantamount to unintentionally insulting everyone present.

All the consequences arising from that, including the negative perception, would have returned to Deon Hart, the initial recommender.

‘Besides, it’s ridiculous for the person who instigated this situation to back out now.’

If you want to achieve something through some means, you must also be prepared for the corresponding price.

Trying to only take the gains and desperately avoid the cost is enough for a child. It’s too pathetic for a grown adult to do that, isn’t it?

Therefore, regardless of his complicated emotions, Dan decided to make good use of the given situation instead of running away.

“Listen carefully.”

A white hand rested on his shoulder.

Deon Hart, looking more serious than when he himself stood in front of the screen to speak, as if he was deeply anxious, said.

“What you have to say isn’t much. At most, it’ll be 30 seconds to a minute. Even if you drag it out, it won’t exceed two minutes.”

“……”

“This isn’t incitement. It’s not a speech either. It’s just stating facts. So, no need to puff up your shoulders.”

He pressed down on his shoulder.

The weightless touch somehow made him laugh, and Dan forgot his tension and slightly raised the corners of his lips. Deon frowned at the sight.

“That doesn’t mean you should completely relax either.”

“I apologize.”

Even as he apologized, the smile did not disappear from his lips. Deon stared at him for a moment, then instead of scolding him further, he opened his mouth and added advice.

“If possible, aim to finish within 30 seconds. The order of speaking? Introduction? Forget all that. Just state the main point and get out. Don’t give the others time to interfere.”

“You seem to lack faith in me.”

“Of course, I do.”

From the moment he accepted the proposal, it was obvious he was thinking of something else, so there was no way he could trust him.

He lowered his hand from his shoulder and grabbed Dan’s collar tightly. Deon opened his mouth, glaring at Dan’s face, now lowered to his eye level, as if to see right through him. A low voice whispered as if warning him.

“I don’t think you’re going to do anything stupid, but just in case, I’ll warn you.”

“……”

“Don’t you dare pull any tricks.”

“……Of course not.”

Dan’s lips curved smoothly upwards.

Deon sighed and released his grip at the relaxed smile that completely eased the tension of the viewer. Dan calmly smoothed out his wrinkled clothes again.

Deon watched him and reached out his hand….

“Ah, Master. I appreciate the thought, but I can fix my clothes myself.”

“……”

…and then withdrew it again.

A slightly irritated voice followed.

“I’ll say it again, what you need to say are two things. Deon Hart has become a Hero, and the Demon King’s army accepts even humans.”

“Aren’t you worrying too much?”

It wasn’t Dan who said that. Deon turned his head.

The Demon King, grinning nearby, met his gaze, having approached unnoticed. Adjutant Ed, fidgeting a little further away, was a bonus.

‘If the Demon King is here, you should be reporting, not standing around like that….’

His reproachful gaze was fleeting, and Deon turned his head back to the Demon King’s voice. The light voice, ruining the carefully created atmosphere, spread through the space.

“He’ll handle it well enough, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“……But.”

“Alright, alright, enough of that.”

The Demon King scanned Dan’s attire and looked at Deon. Laughter flickered in his eyes.

“Deon, it seems like you should fix your own clothes first, rather than Dan’s? Your clothes are wrinkled.”

“……I just straightened them myself.”

“Yes? You straightened them yourself? No wonder… I clearly dressed you perfectly, but your clothes were wrinkled…!”

“……”

The Demon King quietly turned around.

Deon, silently watching his pitifully trembling shoulders, opened his mouth.

“Why are you holding back unlike yourself? Just laugh.”

“HAHAHAHA!!”

“……”

Maybe I should have just told him to keep holding back.

Ed, noticing the mood, approached and began to straighten his clothes again. Deon stood still, receiving the touch of hands adjusting various parts, and glared at the Demon King with a displeased gaze. Naturally, the Demon King was laughing without a care.

It would be better to change the subject. He threw a question at him, who was still chuckling.

“Weren’t you not very interested in this? It’ll be over soon anyway, there’s no need for you to come all the way here….”

“That’s right. Honestly, I’m not interested. Didn’t I say? He’ll handle it well enough.”

“Then why….”

“I just thought of something to teach you next.”

The Demon King smoothly curved his eyes.

“Painting, how about it?”

“…I think it’s a very inappropriate topic for the current situation.”

“Doesn’t matter, does it? You don’t seem interested in instruments, so let’s learn painting next.”

“……”

To come all the way here and say something like that. He was speechless with absurdity.

Even though he hadn’t answered, the Demon King seemed to take it as a yes and turned to leave, saying he was going now. Deon watched his back view disappearing silently as he had come, then turned his head to Dan.

“Are you ready?”

The Demon Realm’s unique cool breeze, unaffected by the Human Realm’s seasons, blew.

Unlike the Demon King and Deon who had been inside, Dan’s speech, or rather non-speech, was to be held outdoors. It was because the legion commanders who didn’t trust Dan wanted to watch directly from outside the screen’s range to prepare for any unforeseen situation.

An explicit expression of their intention to deal with any problems immediately.

Having to speak in front of those who were stronger and higher in rank than him, even if it was short, he couldn’t help but be nervous.

So, he was prepared to give him more time if needed, but.

“Both ‘fact listing’ and ‘post-processing’ are perfectly prepared.”

Dan grinned.